Hadn't seen this in a while and watching it again in preparation for the third movie, found it to be well done. I'm not much for these supernatural horror movies but with James Wan's camera work, and the screen presence from Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, makes it an entertaining flick. **3.75/5**

I'm a fan of Wan, and while I must say I believe that _The Conjuring_ is pretty severely overrated, it's also one of the best horror films to have hit the mainstream in the past few years.
_Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole._

The Conjuring is a fairly classical horror/haunted house/exorcism movie. That was pretty much what I was hoping for. Slow and creepy build up to a final outburst and confrontation with an evil entity. This is a good movie although it is not really something new in terms of story. It is fairly impossible not to think about, and make comparisons with, The Amityville Horror when seeing this movie. I do not think it really deserves the glowing 9 or 10 star ratings that I have seen but it certainly do not merit those 1 or 2 star ones either. What were these people expecting?
This is a solid effort of making a movie along the classical lines of supernatural possession. As I wrote, it is not really something new, but it is nice to see a new movie using this kind of story without just turning it into a CGI gore-feast. Sure, the movie also includes the traditional pitfalls that most horror movies apparently must have like people thinking it is a good idea to walk down into the dark and scary basement all alone in the middle of the night.
One thing that irked me with the movie though was the idea of phantoms and performing exorcism being presented as kind of normal and accepted things. Of the movie would have played itself out 70 or so years earlier maybe but in the 1970′s? It just felt somewhat surreal to see this “ghosthunter” make presentations and talk to people like supernatural entities and the practice of exorcism was just things that happened.
The we have the ending of course. Not that it was overly bad but christ, if you are going to do an exorcism then do it damn it. Do not stop the procedure and look lost every time something goes bump.
Anyway, I was not sure whether I was going to be disappointed or pleased when sitting down to watch this movie. On the whole I was pleased. It was a nice to watch a movie that was going back to the traditional values in horror movie making and it was as well implemented as one could expect.

It's November 1st, 1971, I'm sitting here with Carolyn Perron, who with her family, has been experiencing supernatural occurrences.
The key with The Conjuring is not that it has freshness on its side, as evidenced by the ream of horror fans arguing on internet sites about "nothing new on the table" , but while those fans will be going hungry for a very, very long time, The Conjuring does everything right for the splinter of horror it deals with.
There's a lot to admire about a horror film that in this day and age stands tall and proud against the ream of remakes, sequels and teen friendly slashers that "haunt" the multiplexes with all too much frequency these days. Free of gore and sex, this was automatically going to alienate a good portion of the lustful members of the horror fan base, but for those who like their horror served with appetising scares and a cauldron of suspense, then this delivers plenty to your particular table.
Forget the "based on a true story" tag, since it's kind of irrelevant in this new technological age, it's a selling gimmick that actually means "this story might be true and we might have played with it a bit". Regardless of hoax charges and embellishments, just buy into the premise, commit to it as a scary story in the same way as director James Wan has, for then the rewards are there for the compliant.
Story essentially is based around an investigation in the early seventies by paranormal specialists Ed and Lorraine Warren, who aided the Perron family as they were victims of dreadful supernatural events at their Rhode Island home. Wan builds it deftly, letting us into the Perron families lives as they move into what they believe to be a dream home. Then things start to happen, but again Wan builds it in slow instances, creating a palpable sense of dread, his camera work intelligent. So when the big moments come they have maximum impact and have us also yearning for the Warren's to get involved.
There is no over killing of the boo-jump scares, they are placed with care and marry up superbly with the mounting tension. Naturally all the cliché conventions of the haunted house movie are here, strange smells, creaky doors, ominous cellar and etc, yet these are supplemented with Wan's talented knack for a good scare and a very effective production design. From mysterious bruises and literal leg pulls – breath holding games of hide and seek – to bona fide pant soiling moments, The Conjuring is a lesson in sustained unease until the big finale is unleashed.
The script is devoid of cheese and pointless filler, itself refreshing in a horror sub-genre that suffers often with these problems. Joseph Bishara's musical score is an absolute nerve shredder, and again it's a refreshing accompaniment because it doesn't resort to telegraphed shrieks to tell us to be afraid, it never overwhelms a scene. John Leonetti's cinematography has Gothic textures, both in the house and outside of the lakeside farmhouse, while the strong lead cast of Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston come up trumps for sure.
Met with critical and box office success, The Conjuring justifies its reputation as a superb haunted house movie. 9/10

Watched this movie solely because of an edit. Watching that edit made me think it would be a psycho-type of movie. However, after watching it now, I have to say it went over my head. I'm not saying it's bad; I had high expectations for it, but it couldn't deliver as much as I hoped. Nonetheless, the amount it did deliver was nice. What I liked the most about this movie is its cinematography, especially the zoom-in shots. Overall, for me, it falls into the 'good' tier. It might be because I had such high expectations for it, but it is what it is.

I guess that this made it to the Academy Awards for saying something that has been said a thousand times before. But because it was made in 2018 and everyone below 30 and everyone in Hollywood pretends that cinema didn't exist until 2016 it had high praise.
The acting is not bad, but for a movie set in the South, it could have used to actually show some of the beauty of the region they were driving through. Independent films have done a better job than this.
But, because of the message, because of the statement we have heard a thousand times before, I guess you are supposed to love this and treat it like it's new.
It's not, the 70s and 80s had a lot of movies like this and they carried over into the 90s.

After a superb opening scene we get a heartwarming feel-good film that plays it a little too safe, but the chemistry between the two leads and some humor make ‘Green Book’ funny and highly enjoyable.
8/10

This movie has a weak understanding of not only the truth in the relationship between the two characters based on actual people, but simplifies the subject of race relations. It was a terrible choice for best picture.

***A white streetwise bouncer and an articulate black pianist tour the Deep South in 1962***
A tough, working class Italian New Yawker (Viggo Mortensen) is forced to take a gig driving a refined African-American concert pianist (Mahershala Ali) through the Midwest and Deep South in 1962. Linda Cardellini plays the wife of the Italian.
“Green Book” (2018) was inspired by the real-life story and written by the son of Tony Lip (Mortensen). Like all great dramas, it’s compelling from the get-go and the road movie approach provides an entertaining and revelatory string of episodes, not to mention occasionally amusing. While the movie’s been accused of reverse racism, it’s actually balanced, showing plenty of poor, inarticulate blacks and vice versa. The message is to base your perceptions on the individual rather than ignorant generalizations.
The film runs 2 hours, 10 minutes, and was shot in New York City and Louisiana.
GRADE: A

"Frequently, when someone tries to portray the overwhelming decade of the 1960s, they usually misuse the concept of discrimination towards African Americans, which is accurate to describe this social issue. Nevertheless, the way Peter Farrelly and staff go into detail about this social wretchedness embodying the psychological impact it has in the main character makes the film an outstanding one".
The year is 1962, and the film begins inside Copacabana restaurant where we get introduced the imposing personality of Tony Lip, an Italian descendant whose family came from a lower middle class coping with some financial difficulties. The way Viggo Mortensen performs the character is a proper model of then American racism; therefore he attempted to keep them out until the occasion arrived and Don Shirley appeared in his path, offering him a two-month lifetime opportunity. We all need to bear in mind the precise dates because, in real life, it was nearly a year they spent together. Despite his gifted pianist skills and his upper-class status, he was still a victim of the convulsed cultural impact. Both of them, during the film, learn from each other and fight against the unsettling behaviour of determined people.
Although it may seem simple, their interaction is one of the primary reasons why it succeeds. Believe it or not, it arouses curiosity, reaches the climax when they finally let them know as they are, and sometimes it results as a plot twister due to the radical temperament change of each actor. It has been ages since I watched such a pleasant film; afterwards, I felt refreshed as though it renewed me.
The contextualisation was imperative to build up each one's personality; moreover, it was visually dazzling owing to the costumes, the space and the background advertisement of the decade. Comedy is present as well so that you won't be missing from genuine laughs. Everything appears to be perfectly balanced, even the role of secondary personages such as Tony's wife and the cheeky cards experience. I'm chuffed to bits!
On the whole, the film "Green Book" is an exceptional example of the conception of a masterpiece without spending loads of money in production and without creating plenty of trifling scenarios.
[85/100]

If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog :)
Living in Portugal has a ton of pros, but regarding movies, it lacks serious advantages. The price of admission is expensive, there is only one film theater in my city (every time I want to watch a movie on IMAX or Dolby Atmos, it's a financial effort and time-consuming) and the worst of all, a whole bunch of films aren't released in their original date, especially November/December Oscar-bait movies. Only now I had the opportunity to see Green Book, and I am so mad I wasn't able to write its review in 2018 because this is undoubtedly the best comedy-drama of last year and one of the best overall!
With the help of a terrific cast, Peter Farrelly and his writing crew (which counts with Vallelonga's son, Nick) deliver what I think is the best screenplay of 2018. I can't remember the last time I cried of so much laughter in a film. I can't remember the last time I did the latter and still got emotional with the dramatic arc. This comedy-drama sent me through a roller coaster of emotions I wasn't expecting, at all. I went in anticipating outstanding performances (check) and solely that. Since 2019 has already begun, I'm watching the Oscar-bait movies with no real hopes of being utterly amazed.
However, Green Book completely took me by surprise. I genuinely don't know why everyone was so shocked when it won Best Screenplay at the Golden Globe Awards. It possesses such a well-written story, filled with brilliant narratives about the most sensitive subjects. It takes the two main characters and elevates their individual arcs into subplots where you begin and end with two completely different personas. It's an extremely relevant film that shows how our world evolved and fought back racism and discrimination, without ever becoming too dark or even dull. It's not more of the same, it's not another movie produced exclusively to send a social message and catch some Oscar nominations. It's a truly captivating story of how two men can change their perspective of another race or even the entire world, by actually spending time with another culture and ignoring preconceived notions.
Nevertheless, this well-structured, beautifully-directed and cleverly-written film would be just "good" if not for the two incredible actors, who take this movie to a whole other level. Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali have such compelling chemistry that I wouldn't mind watching them interact for two hours on a car trip. Every single car sequence either produces hilarious moments, filled with tearful laughter, or it drastically changes into a more dramatic and emotional tone, subtly touching delicate topics. I knew Mortensen had a humorous side to him, but I never saw this coming! His timing, his expressions, his Italian accent, his body movements, everything about his performance is perfect. He absolutely nailed his part, by giving me the best time I had at a film theater in a long time, and his Oscar nomination is more than fair. He made a 130-min feature movie feel like a short flick.
Ali doesn't come far behind. Obviously, since Viggo has a funnier role to portray, the audience members might feel that he's just there to help his co-star shine, but he does much more than that. Since he brings the drama element to the story, he has a more restrained performance during the first half of the film. However, once Shirley starts getting along with Tony Lip, Ali gradually offers more and more splendid acting moments. He's definitely a supporting actor, but God is he a phenomenal one! Linda Cardellini (Dolores Vallelonga), even though she's only on-screen for a few minutes spread throughout the runtime, also delivers a great performance.
Tony Lip and Dr. Don Shirley have quite distinct personalities, besides being from different races. Each character's arc is brilliantly illustrated by Peter Farrelly, who gradually shows how Tony and Don are changing their view of the world and of each other's culture. Either through the witty car sequences or through unfortunate and horrible experiences, these two characters carry the audience on a journey of growth. Change in behavior, mindset and preconceived ideas, by sharing their own culture with another. Even though they were born in different countries and lived through distinguished lifestyles, with contrasting quality of life, they eventually start realizing that what they think of the world and everything else might not be entirely right.
Technically, Farrelly controls the movie's pacing exceptionally well, by making a two-hour-ish film feel like half of it. Remarkably-balanced tone and some great cinematography is showed in a couple of scenes. Consistently-filmed and well-edited, even though the latter has small hiccups here and there. Nevertheless, this isn't a film with extraordinary technical attributes, nor it needs them. Farrelly only needed to do "ok" with the producing and filming of a standout screenplay to achieve a fantastic result, and that's exactly what he did.
Finally, regarding the controversy surrounding this movie ... See how easy it is to watch a film without being affected by outside matters which don't have a single thing to do with the movie itself? I don't care if someone who worked in the film tweeted something wrong today, let alone years ago. I don't care if someone misinterprets Viggo Mortensen's speech about racism. I don't care if the family of Don Shirley doesn't like how the movie approaches his way of being or his way of life. I don't care if the story isn't 100% true, as long as it succeeds in transmitting the vital message it wants to deliver, while actually being a good film. So, please, stop trying to listen to everything everyone says about a movie or the people working on it, especially nowadays, where chaos is easy to create.
Green Book surprised the hell out of me and left me speechless in the end. One of the best comedy-dramas I've seen in a long time, one of the best films of 2017 and, by far, the best original screenplay of the last year. Peter Farrelly and his fellow co-writers delivered a seamlessly-written story, filled with wonderful character arcs and with a quite important message to the audiences around the world. Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali deliver award-worthy performances, especially the former who shows his incredible comedic timing and dramatic range. Still, the most compelling and emotional scenes come from Ali, and he does not deserve to be forgotten. I thought 2018 was going to be the first year without me giving an A+, but guess what ...
Rating: A+

Sadly, didn't end racism, but still very cute.
_Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go._

There's really no point to the movie. Just a lot of violence. That's pretty much it.

Despite having a somewhat weak cast, this is an incredibly poignant drama of one man's struggle to live a new life. Probably too violent and close-to-home for some.

_"Congratulations, you're a dead man."_
I mean, this might be the best remake of all time right? I don't like using the term masterpiece but this is pretty close to that. Ensembles are not easy to do well but Soderbergh was able to get this group of beutiful people, make a charming picture and it's got everything you want in a heist movie.

As remakes go - I think we will struggle to find one that is better than this across any genre. It's not just that the cast is full of A-listers, it is that Steven Soderbergh has invested just as much time with his story and with the characterisations as he has with the visuals, the gadgets and, of course, just about everyone from Brad Pitt and George Clooney to Julia Roberts and Matt Damon. The premiss being that Clooney "Danny" assembles a group of skilled operators with a view to relieving casino owner "Benedict" (Andy Garcia) of a great deal of money. Their planning must be meticulous - each having their set tasks that they must deliver precisely to support the overall - dangerous - plan. All looks to be going along well until the boys discover that Julia Roberts ("Tess") - the ex-wife of their leader - is now dating their mark. Could that compromise their entire operation? The action builds well, here - the contributions from each - especially, for me anyway, Carl Reiner as the curmudgeonly "Saul" and Shaobo Qin as the lithe and supple gymnast "Yen" - who reminded me somewhat of Burt Lancaster's equally acrobatic buddy Nick Cravat - are charismatic, enjoyable and impressively they all gel quite well too. The ending is a masterstroke, and there is a suitably fitting "Clair de Lune" to sign it all off. Good entertainment all round.

This new version of the classic heist movie is of course slick: sharply written, acted competently, the stunts and special effects well-made. Still, I can’t say I liked it too much. It was sufficient to entertain, I suppose, but will quickly fade from memory. Then again, the action drama genre is not what I call home. You throw in some humor and you stand a chance of holding my attention, which it just about managed.
The hero wanting to get his ex-back is easy to cause traps of stereotypical behavior, and this script fell into some of them. Tess Ocean comes off as one of Terry Benedict’s possessions through much of the film. He shows her deference and she srands by his side, but where is there even a flicker offeelings between them? And actually, there is hardly more emotion between her and the hero come to rescue her.
So I give this film a less than rousing “It’s okay,” and will move on.

**My favorite movie of all time! A must-see!**
Ocean's Eleven greatest strength is its emersion of the audience into the midst of a story already in motion. The pacing isn't weighed down by exposition; instead, the viewer discovers important history and surprises simultaneously as the characters on screen. The absolutely brilliant cast is effortlessly charming, whose antics and charisma fuel the movie to be a wonderful ride from start to finish. You can't help but feel welcomed into Danny Ocean's crew. With amazing acting, storytelling, clever twists, and exceptional directing, Ocean's Eleven is a must-see and my favorite movie of all time. As a young teen who stood firmly in the grunge camp of wearing ripped jeans and rock 'n' roll t-shirts, Ocean's Eleven convinced me that every now and then... suits are cool too.

Really good watch, would watch again, and can recommend.
As far as heist movies go, it's excellent, but I think I'm very picky when it comes to heist movies. In order to get me behind the criminal protagonist, it needs to be overly complex, but not complicated, and there needs to be an alternative motive, such as "get the girl".
This entire franchise does a decent job of this, keeping the motives and implementations interesting. Part of the problem with that is that because of how complex the heist is, have the movie is an explanation of how the heist is going to happen (with JUST enough information left out for misdirects), then there is the actual heist, with some misdirects, and an explanation of the gaps, if not the heist itself, then a resolution.
That's the formula for every heist movie ever, which is part of what makes it boring. It has to be special to really grab a audience and make it memorable.
This movie does all this with a great cast, and certainly enough production value. While it is certainly really interesting and entertaining, I can't really say its a great movie. We can chalk it up as personal bias, but I do think everyone should see this version as it has some historical value and is well worth the watch.

I got two words for you, mini-bar.
Literally fresh out of prison, Danny Ocean is busy setting up a seemingly impossible robbery. The plan, along with ten other experts he has roped in, is to rob the main vault at Las Vegas that houses the takings from the three main casinos.
The original Ocean's 11 released in 1960 is an OK film, more watchable for the Vegas setting and the irrepressible cast of Rat Packers than for any purpose or structure. That this Steven Soderbergh remake trumps the original in every department is a triumph of entertainment values over pure star appeal. Some would put a case up for the cast of Soderberg's film using stars to entice the audience in? But really at the time of release it was a stretch to put George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon (all excellent here) on the same pedal stool as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin.
The most striking thing about this remake is that the whole cast seem to be enjoying themselves, mainly because they are not being asked to over exert their performances from their very astute director, they really are just asked to turn up, enjoy each other's company and deliver one of the coolest pictures to have been made in the decade.
The film is purely out there to entertain, it has geniality pouring out from every frame, this is a character based heist caper full of laughs and derring do shenanigans - even Don Cheadle's ill advised (and pointless character arc) cockney accent manages to create smiles instead of being an on going hindrance. Some critics said the film is far too shallow to have any real worth! What the hell do they want? So the crooks are nice guys, it's a refreshing change to see a Vegas sparkling bright without any seedy undercurrents, where these robbers aren't using AK 47s to obliterate the opposition, it's wits and dashes of cool that fills out their respective armouries.
The soundtrack and scoring are themselves cool characters in the piece, whilst a big shout out goes to the bona fide stunt work from the wonderfully elastic Shaobo Qin - which merely puts another cherry on this already delightful cake. All the cast (too many to mention) are great, from Andy Garcia's suave and mean boss, Terry Benedict, to Julia Roberts' (walking like a goddess) Tess Ocean, all things in the film deliver a feel good movie that when all put together, and all things considered, is a film made by lovers of the medium for, well yes, lovers of the medium itself! 9/10

Wow, what a surprise this was! It looked like the stupidest movie ever by the trailers. Bit then when you actually sit down and watch it, it's not only one if the funniest, but also one of the most mature, profound, intense, action packed films you'll ever see! The perfect example of a "Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover" movie.
**Total Score: 9.5/10**

So the rather clumsy and inept "Po" has dreams of saving the world! His real job is working in a noodle bar where one day, maybe, he will learn the secret ingredient that gives their dishes that special flavour. Meantime, the ageing "Oogway", the most learned of creatures, has informed his stalwart lieutenant "Shifu" that he will soon have to defend their "Valley of Peace" from the vengeful "Tai Lung" who, though currently incarcerated in a seemingly impregnable prison, is set to come and wreak some havoc. "Po" is determined to attend the selection ceremony and, well yes - you've guessed. He ends up selected by the old wise turtle, much to the chagrin and general disbelief of just about everyone else. Hopeless, hapless and helpless - but can "Po" prove his mettle and save the day? It's really quite good fun this. The characterisations are well developed and it has humour and style to it too. The animations are lively, vivid and the directors avoid the temptation to allow the combat and action scenes to descend into the all-too-often realms of repetitiveness. There is a moral - the values of teamwork and trust, honesty, integrity yada yada, but the story delivers them in a gentle and demonstrable manner via the plot and the characters rather than pontificating. All in all, this is great family fun that shows the (not so) little guy doing his best... Can he save the day?

A blast!
What a great near two hours this is! 'Kick-Ass' is a fantastic superhero movie, one that doesn't take itself seriously and that is actually the biggest compliment I can make. It's such a fun movie! That isn't its only strength though, there are some awesome action sequences and the costumes, albeit silly, are great.
Aaron (Taylor-)Johnson is a terrific choice of lead, this is the best work I've seen from that guy thus far - up there with his amusing performance in 2022's 'Bullet Train'. The same could be said for Chloë Grace Moretz, who is equally as brilliant. She brings the character of Hit-Girl (arguably should've been her movie tbh) to life incredibly well, suiting both the comedy and the superhero elements.
Nicolas Cage is entertaining too, in a role that is undoubtedly right up his alley. That opening scene with him and Moretz is very fun. Everyone onscreen does worthy work, the standout being Mark Strong - a welcomed staple (among others) of director Matthew Vaughn's filmography, of course.
Hopefully the sequel didn't disappoint.

Geeky "Dave" (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his two pals go through life at high school being bullied and reading comic books. Finally fed up being put upon, he buys a superhero suit online and heads out into the night hoping that his green lycra will deter the city's nasties. After his umpteenth beating he is rescued by a like-minded father and daughter team who take him under their own wing and set about training him. Meantime, the kingpin of crime "D'Amico" (Mark Strong) is running the town with a ruthless rod of iron, watched adoringly by his hapless son "Chris" (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). Surprisingly, the former trio start to have some success against this arch-baddie so battle lines are soon drawn and, well you can guess the rest. Up to a point, this works. ATJ (especially with glasses and curly hair) is very easy on the eye and there is a degree of chemistry between his character and his cohort "Mindy" (Chloë Grace Moretz) all under the tutelage of a rather underplayed Nicolas Cage as her dad "Damon". Sadly, the initially quirky start that sees real people aspiring to make their community better - without the ability to fly or laser things with their eyes - peters out quite quickly and the jokes that are quite attitudinally sharp at the start just become a little more puerile and expletive-dependent. Mr. Strong isn't really much of a baddie and the combat scenes are well and truly prolonged to the point where they end up a bit repetitive and dull. It has it's moments, this movie - it's generally quite entertaining but at all but two hours in length it just runs out of ideas around the half way mark and only just struggles over the line.

My favourite movie!

I thought this movie was a super comedy movie but I was wrong. I didn't know it was a pretty serious movie with real killings and stuff. It was like Kill Bill minus the really gross things. It was not a silly movie after all.
The character Kick-Ass was pretty stupid. I mean a high school nobody trying to be somebody. Of all the things he could think of, it's being a super hero. And then there's Big Daddy and Hit Girl who had the real stunts. Their characters were pretty funny. I mean I can't think of any words to describe Nicolas Cage's character. A good daddy who doesn't know how to bring up a girl. And then there's Chloe Moretz. Wow. She did all the action in the movie. I mean this girl is only 13 years old. I'm a fan. And then there's Red Mist who I think is very silly like Kick Ass as well.
My rate for this movie is A.

That ending... Never has the word "speechless" been so apt.
'The Sixth Sense' is a very good movie from beginning to end, but it is during that conclusion that the film becomes truly remarkable. The only word that crossed my mind when the credits rolled was "wow". Such a fantastic way to wrap up events, the best twists are the ones that give you all the clues but without making it obvious what's occurred - and that's exactly the case here.
Up until that moment, I was simply 'only' enjoying the flick. Like, it was really, really good but I was waiting for things to move up a gear. It is quite slowly paced for the majority, which actually helps in appreciating what eventually happens to be honest. The plot is supremely well executed when all is said and done.
Haley Joel Osment puts in a top quality performance, such an impressive showing. Bruce Willis is excellent as well, kinda crazy that I had seen 26 features with him in and yet somehow missed this one. Toni Collette, a barely recognisable Toni Collette, is ace too, I love Lynn and Cole's mother/son dynamic; despite all the pressing issues.
Logged, at last! I had heard of this flick for almost as long as I can remember. Thankfully, despite that, I completely avoided any spoilers. Outstanding movie!

There are three really potent performances in this mystery and none better than a super debut from eleven year old Haley Joel Osment who is the troubled young "Cole". He can see dead people, he can talk to dead people, he can learn from dead people. His problem is, not unreasonably, that nobody believes him - and his mother "Lynn" (Toni Collette) is at her wit's end. Enter onto the scene child psychologist "Crowe" (Bruce Willis) who has some experience in this field as one of his other patients "Vincent" (Donnie Wahlberg) suffered with the same problem - only with tragic consequences. Of course the scepticism abounds, but as the plot develops we all begin to wonder just what is a figment of the youngster's imagination and what is actual fact. M. Night Shyamalan lets the actors do the heavy lifting here, accompanied well by some intimate photography and an effective score from James Newton Howard. Collette is really convincing as the distraught mother and Osment just oozes a confidence well beyond his years as his character comes to terms with a trauma that would test the most robust of temperaments. Finally, Willis reminds us just why he was ever a star in the first place - his performance is delicate and assured. The dialogue is well constructed with little extraneous verbiage to clutter up what is a really compelling foray into a scary yet enthralling dimension that I really enjoyed watching. It is better still on a big screen, if you can.

It is the final and greatest plottwist that puts a smile on your face, as all the puzzle pieces fit at last.
9/10

_**Bruce Willis stars in Shyamalan’s supernatural drama/mystery**_
A child psychologist (Bruce Willis) tries to help a boy (Haley Joel Osment) who has a unique problem (or gift) and is called a “freak” by his peers. Olivia Williams plays the wife of the therapist and Toni Collette the mother of the boy.
Written & directed by M. Night Shyamalan, "The Sixth Sense" (1999) was his breakout film. It’s a slow-burn drama with paranormal elements. When my wife & I first saw it we didn’t know anything about the story except everyone was raving about it; and the ending really does elicit a ‘Wow’ response.
Seeing it again, I was wondering if the movie works if you know the big reveal and it does. While the drama’s a little tedious, it’s refreshing compared to modern blockbusters with their idiotic explosions every five minutes. Furthermore, the film is aesthetically pleasing, which is helped by the unique locations (Philadelphia & areas nearby). Lastly, it is interesting to view the flick to see how Shyamalan was able to successfully hide the twist.
The movie runs 1 hour, 47 minutes.
GRADE: B